‘Rizzoli & Isles’ to Mourn Death of Lee Thompson Young

Next Tuesday’s episode of Rizzoli & Isles will feature a memorial service for police Detective Barry Frost. Frost was played by actor Lee Thompson Young who died of an apparent suicide last...
‘Rizzoli & Isles’ to Mourn Death of Lee Thompson Young
Written by Kimberly Ripley

Next Tuesday’s episode of Rizzoli & Isles will feature a memorial service for police Detective Barry Frost. Frost was played by actor Lee Thompson Young who died of an apparent suicide last summer. Frost’s co-workers learned he was killed in a car accident during this season’s first episode.

Sasha Alexander, who plays medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles in the show, says the memorial service was difficult for the entire cast and crew to shoot, however she hopes it will provide everyone–fans included–a means by which to both grieve and heal.

“I hope that people who knew him and adored him and loved him on the show will enjoy it and be able to move through it with us,” the actress said.

Angie Harmon also stars in Rizzoli & Isles as Detective Jane Rizzoli. Jan Nash came onboard as the new show runner in the months following Lee Thompson Young’s passing. He had the task of deciding how to proceed with this new season.

“I really do think it was very brave of TNT and Warner Bros. and Jan Nash to embark on handling it head-on,” Alexander said. “They might have been like ‘I can’t deal with this. I don’t know how to handle this,’ but they didn’t. They went for it and everyone just embraced it and I think that was really just to show our love for him.”

Alexander said Young’s absence is felt on the set.

“They have not replaced him and don’t intend to do so anytime soon,” she said. “So his seat remains empty and it’s something that we have had to look at and struggle with from day one of shooting.”

Young, who was just 29 years old, was found dead in his North Hollywood home last August.

Will you be tuning in to Rizzoli & Isles next week to say goodbye to both Detective Barry Frost as well as to Lee Thompson Young? Fans will no doubt miss them both.

Image via YouTube

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